April 2016
LESSON 1: Describing Family Roles
FOR MORE INFORMATION TO HELP YOU ANSWER QUESTIONS THAT MAY COME UP
DURING THIS LESSON, REFER TO THE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS SHEET “LEGAL
INFORMATION ABOUT PARENTAL RIGHTS” AT THE END OF THIS LESSON.
Time: 2 hours
Content Objectives
● Students describe their families.
● Students describe how their family talks about English.
● Students describe their family roles and community connections.
Legal Literacy Objectives
● Students become familiar with the definition of family under U.S. law.
Language Objectives
● Students practice reading, speaking, and writing about family-related issues in English.
Materials Needed:
● Student lesson plan
● Paper and pens or pencils for Activity A
● Optional colored pens/pencils for Activity A
KEY VOCABULARY:
Before completing the activities below, the instructor should review the lesson
vocabulary from the table.
Nouns
Verbs
Interrogatives
Child / Grandchild
To talk to
Where?
Doctor / Nurse
To be sick
Who / Whom?
Teacher / Counselor
School
Hospital / Clinic
Intermediate Level
To be away
To tell
To go
When?
Why?
What?
Protecting Families ESOL Toolkit – Teachers’ Guide
These lessons contain some basic information about U.S. law. This information is not legal advice
and is not a replacement for legal advice from a trained attorney. All information is current as of
the date it was produced.
1
April 2016
Home
To need
Problem / Help
To do
Advice
LESSON ACTIVITIES:
How many?
To ask for
PART A) Introducing Our Families
The instructor should make sure all students have paper and a pen or pencil. Students
may also be given colored pens/pencils to decorate the drawing they will create. Students
should individually complete the following activity and should be encouraged to share
their sentence and drawing with a classmate.
On a piece of paper, write the following expression and read it aloud to a classmate:
“My name is ________, and my family includes _____________________________________.”
Ex: My name is Khalid, and my family includes my mother and my two daughters.
Then draw and label a picture that represents your family:
Ex:
Zafrani Family
Me,
Khalid
Selma, my
daughter
Intermediate Level
Lina,
my
mother
Ines, my
daughter
Protecting Families ESOL Toolkit – Teachers’ Guide
These lessons contain some basic information about U.S. law. This information is not legal advice
and is not a replacement for legal advice from a trained attorney. All information is current as of
the date it was produced.
2
April 2016
Part B) English and My Family
When students have finished Part A and have shared their drawings with one another,
direct them to Part B. Encourage students to write honestly about the positive and
negative roles English may play in their families’ lives.
Somewhere on your drawing, write in English or your native language three thoughts (e.g., my
mother is a doctor at home but can’t be one here because she does not speak English; my sister got
into college because she learned English; etc.) or feelings (e.g., I am proud of my father for coming
here even when he can’t speak English; I am sad not to speak English as well as my sister; etc.) you
or members of your family have about learning or using English.
PART C) Describing Roles as Parents
The instructor should gather students into small groups and direct their attention toward
the chart found below. Each student should fill out his or her own chart, but should
collaborate with his or her group members.
In small groups, fill out the following chart, listing where you go, whom you talk to, what you do,
and what you need in the following three situations, using vocabulary from the lesson and words
you know.
● When your child is sick.
● When your child is having a problem in school.
● When your child is staying home while you are away for a few days.
WHEN
my child:
WHAT
my child needs:
WHERE
I go:
WHOM
I talk to:
WHAT
I do:
is hungry.
to eat
home
my family
cook a meal
is sick.
is having a problem
in school.
is staying home while
you are away for a
few days.
Intermediate Level
Protecting Families ESOL Toolkit – Teachers’ Guide
These lessons contain some basic information about U.S. law. This information is not legal advice
and is not a replacement for legal advice from a trained attorney. All information is current as of
the date it was produced.
3
April 2016
PART D) Reflections
In a small group, first, the instructor asks the students to reflect on writing about their
families and the lessons and challenges of the above activities. Then the class as a whole
reflects on how the students’ families are respected or not in society, with particular
attention to how families are affected by immigration status and language use. Part of the
discussion can take place in the students’ native languages if necessary and possible.
Take a moment to reflect on the lesson, what you have learned, and the challenges you experienced
with the activities, as well as what you enjoyed about them. Then, as a class, reflect on how your
families are respected or not in society and how your families are affected by immigration status
and use of English and other languages. Feel free to communicate in your native language, as
necessary and possible.
END OF LESSON REFLECTIONS: The teacher asks students at the end of each lesson what
they learned and how they felt doing these activities. The teacher may want to take notes
based on what students share to help in preparing the lesson for the following week.
Guiding questions for instructors to pose to students include the following:
• What new ideas/content did you learn?
• What new vocabulary did you learn?
• What was difficult? What was easy?
• How did you feel?
• What would you change?
• How would you use this information?
• How does this content connect to human rights?
Intermediate Level
Protecting Families ESOL Toolkit – Teachers’ Guide
These lessons contain some basic information about U.S. law. This information is not legal advice
and is not a replacement for legal advice from a trained attorney. All information is current as of
the date it was produced.
4
April 2016
Intermediate Level
Protecting Families ESOL Toolkit – Teachers’ Guide
These lessons contain some basic information about U.S. law. This information is not legal advice
and is not a replacement for legal advice from a trained attorney. All information is current as of
the date it was produced.
5